REVIEW: WHEN THE WORLD WAS FLAT BY INGRID JONACH.

Title: When the World was Flat (and We were In Love)
Author: Ingrid Jonach
Edition: Paperback
Publication: Strange Chemistry / September 3, 2013
Source: Borrowed
Pages: 312
Genre: Sci-Fi, Romance
Trailer: Watch it HERE.

Synopsis:

Looking back, I wonder if I had an inkling that my life was about to go from ordinary to extraordinary.

When sixteen-year-old Lillie Hart meets the gorgeous and mysterious Tom Windsor-Smith for the first time, it’s like fireworks — for her, anyway. Tom looks as if he would be more interested in watching paint dry; as if he is bored by her and by her small Nebraskan town in general.

But as Lillie begins to break down the walls of his seemingly impenetrable exterior, she starts to suspect that he holds the answers to her reoccurring nightmares and to the impossible memories which keep bubbling to the surface of her mind — memories of the two of them, together and in love.

When she at last learns the truth about their connection, Lillie discovers that Tom has been hiding an earth-shattering secret; a secret that is bigger — and much more terrifying and beautiful — than the both of them. She also discovers that once you finally understand that the world is round, there is no way to make it flat again.

An epic and deeply original sci-fi romance, taking inspiration from Albert Einstein’s theories and the world-bending wonder of true love itself.

Murdered over and over in her dreams, Lillie is bothered. Good thing her mother's a dreamologist and she was able to at least explain what the dreams meant. But Lillie knows better. She feels this tiny bit of hunch that her dreams are connected to Tom, because everything unusual about her life started when he arrived at her school. The sense of familiarity in the air around him tells her they've met before, like the ache of homesickness in her gut tells her she knew him well, that they've shared something. Her hallucinations have gotten worse then Tom's presence is becoming constant in her life. She can't put her finger on it, like when they've met or where because her memories are screwed up but Tom tells her - yes, they've met before, in another dimension.

BAAAAAM!! I DIDN'T SEE THAT COMING.

All I ever learned about this book was that my friends liked it so much. Good thing I didn't know anything, even the synopsis, because I like how my stories take me by surprise. Like When the World was Flat took me by surprise. I was banged by the chest so hard by how intense the surprise was!! NOPE, I HAD NO IDEA THAT THIS STORY IS THIS MIND BLOWING. Wow. I was really, absolutely, amazingly surprised.

I did have issues though with the world building because some parts got me questioning the reliability of the "creation of dimensions", "sliding" and "merging" parts but STOP!! I won't going to even think about it (also, I was utterly uncomfortable with the characters but they're hilarious). I just wanted to honestly say I loved how - can I say time travel? or what, dimension travel? - THIS was incorporated to Lillie and Tom's story. It was Fallen (Lauren Kate's series)/Time Traveler's Wife vibe all over again! It was THAT greatness of a love that knows no bounds. The sense of home by being with someone, the comfort and ability to identify how much you know someone incredibly warmed my heart. No one can ever be wrong by picking up stories, love stories for that matter, that defy human nature or even science. At the back of my mind, a little thought plays that there could be possibilities that these amazing stories could be true and I couldn't stop imagining how brilliant it would be. Like, you could literally say I LOVE YOU, FOREVER, right? How strong that love is if you will slide from one dimension to another to find the person over and over again? Incredible. Hard probably but just incredible. I mean, I couldn't even wrap my head about the massive string theory sub-plot! The love story just blended fantastically with this take on parallel universe and that's the part that sated my need.

When the World was Flat defies the norm and brilliantly showcases timeless love in a whole new level. Truly engaging, this book surely puts romance to the pedestal it deserves.

Thank you, Dianne of Oops, I Read a Book Again!, for lending me the copy!

"I watched her walk down the street again, wishing that I had a ball of twine for the future like I did for the past. Then we could stick to the highways, instead of these country roads with their potholes and dead-ends."

"They say you should take the road less traveled. You know, when two roads diverge in a wood? They say it makes all the difference. But how can you make a difference when you take all the roads?"